"Sullivan's City explores the idea that ornament was increasingly central to Sullivan's whole architectural enterprise. When, early in his career, in the 1890s, he emerged as a leading skyscraper architect of Chicago, ornament gave scale and quality to his work. After 1900, as his career declined, it served to identify his buildings and the humane conception they encapsulated in an increasingly hostile cityscape.

Finally, the brilliant pencil execution of ornament in his old age became a surrogate for the great architectural projects realized earlier." "David Van Zanten's essay on how Sullivan's ornament shaped the city is illuminated by archival views and new color photographs by architectural photographer Cervin Robinson."--BOOK JACKET.